Close to the Edge!

Sure, I have another large paper/project to complete.

And there might be half a dozen mini-abnormal psych assignments and two finals to go—BUT there is no more classroom time standing between me and my degree.

AMAZING!

Today was my last class day and I admit—it was a bit difficult to LEAVE the English building.

I took my time, waited around for a friend, bought another bottle of water, read the campus paper, went to the bathroom, watched the head of the department leave...

then it was time.

As I was rushing down the back steps, I accidentally took a picture with my phone.

No, really. It was an accident--

BoysenBerry has side buttons and one is programmed to activate the camera...

I heard a *click*...then I smiled and realized it would be an interesting photo to have...I guess.

It's a bit blurry, but you can probably figure it out. Don't look too hard, because it kinda makes you dizzy (or at least it does me).

The last fiction workshop was filled with a lot of advice from Papa Bausch--I gotta share these with ya...(and I'm sure I'll be coming back to read and reread these pearls myself):

"Robert Frost gave himself twenty years to become a published poet. It took him ten and his first book was a best seller--but he gave himself twenty years..."
(if at first you don't succeed--try, try again!)

"Stories are never complete, they are just abandoned."
(stop revising and submit the thing!)

"You will spend your life proving your talent to people that have no talent."
(rejection letter after rejection letter)

"If you believe in your story--give it every single chance."
(resubmit, resubmit, resubmit)

"It's all about the life on the page..."
(of course it is!)

"Don't worry yourself into silence, keep the pot boiling!"
(keep on writing and writing and writing)

"What you're doing is important, don't let anyone tell you differently."
(amen!)

~~J

p.s. for those of you who REALLY know me--if you caught IT up there: yes he is, and no that's not why it was time to go. my phone just happened to be out, he went out the other way.